Patricroft Station - a History and Heritage

Queen Victoria arrives by barge

Patricroft Station is located at the point where the world’s first inter-city passenger railway crosses the world’s first commercial canal. It is one of the stations on the Liverpool to Manchester railway, a major engineering feat, built across Chat Moss by George Stephenson, opened in 1830, mainly to carry passengers between the two cities. There was a large power depot with steam sheds on the land to the rear of the present Manchester platform, but activity there ceased in 1968. All the station buildings were demolished in the 1980s and all that remains now are two brick shelters, one on each platform. It is the only railway station in the area that provides access to the Bridgewater Canal. In 1851 Queen Victoria travelled by train from Liverpool to Patricroft to board a barge to Worsley, where she was to be a guest of the Earl of Ellesmere during her visit to Manchester.

The Bridgewater Canal was commissioned by Francis Egerton, the third Duke of Bridgewater, and built by Principal Engineers John Gilbert and James Brindley. The canal opened in 1761 to carry coal from the Duke's mines in Worsley to the industries of Manchester. It is located between Green Lane and Worsley Road and continues on to the Manchester Ship Canal which it crosses via the Barton Aqueduct high above the Ship Canal. Queen Victoria travelled by barge on the Bridgewater Canal between Patricroft and Worsley in 1851 when she came to visit the Earl of Ellesmere.

The Bridgewater Iron Foundry was established in 1836 on the site of the present Nasmyth Business Park. James Nasmyth, the ironmaster and inventor, chose the site because of its proximity to the Bridgewater Canal, the railway and road links to Manchester and Liverpool. The Foundry used Nasmyth’s invention, the steam hammer to manufacture engineering products that were exported worldwide. The company of Nasmyth, Wilson Ltd ceased trading in 1938 and the site became a Royal Ordnance factory until 1991.

The Queen’s Arms claims to be the world’s first railway public house. It was opened in 1828 anticipating trade from the railway. At one time it had direct access to the station, but is now fenced off from it. It is said that Queen Victoria used the facilities here before she boarded the royal barge to Worsley when she visited in 1851. The pub was originally called the Patricroft Tavern, but changed its name after the Queen’s visit. In 2010 the Queen’s Arms won the Campaign for Real Ale’s Traditional Pub of the Year award.